OL-1 Object Libraries

OL-1 Object Libraries

With the increased use of BIM authoring tools, there is increasing interest in non-proprietary Object Libraries for sharing independent of specific construction projects.

There are three levels of object libraries:

Object templates which identify the objects, classifications, representations and properties without necessarily providing values. These act as guidance and standards for generic and product objects.

Generic objects which can be used during earlier stages of design, prior to specific product selection. In some cases generic objects are sufficient to allow construction.

Product objects which represent manufactured products.

IFC can represent all such levels and there are initiatives within buildingSMART international and in several buildingSMART chapters to explore this opportunity:

buildingSMART international: The buildingSMART Implementers Support Group have started a forum to define the subset of IFC (MVD) relevant to product data and any supplementary implementation agreements.

PA-1: The proposed parametric extensions for IFC will be relevant to capturing product catalogues and ranges. The extensions support arithmetic, geometric and dimensional constraints on any aspect of the IFC schema.

United States: the buildingSMART Alliance under NIBS has the Specifiers Properties Information Exchange ('SPie') initiative. This combines buildingSMART recommendations with US specific practice as documented by SCIP, CSI and various trade associations. The templates are being developed further to include operational data and sustainability data and these should be available for selected product types after their launch at Ecobuild in Washington DC in December 2011.

UK: RIBAE NBS has recently launched an object based specification system 'NBS Create. They are sharing their recommended properties with buildingSMART UK to generate a UK National BIM Library. Best practice is being documented in a new BS 8541. Part 2 relating to 2D symbols is published. Part 1 on identification and classification, Part 3 on shape and measures and Part 4 on Specification will follow.

Germany: Groups of accessory product manufacturers, organized in the industry association 'BV Bausysteme' are coming forward to explore the opportunity of a neutral component catalog. Another group of building service component manufacturer (mainly for heating components) decided to move their own neutral delivery format VDI3805 into an ISO standard and pledged to coordinate it with buildingSMART. Further information can be found at:

France: Leading French product and construction material suppliers have explored systematically upgrading building models to incorporate products. CSTB is working with French product and construction material suppliers to: